A controversial fruit and vegetable nativity scene that depicted baby Jesus as a carrot was given the church's blessing yesterday.
Tulleys Farm, in Turners Hill, near Crawley, West Sussex, also used onions for the heads of Mary and Joseph.
One visitor labelled the representation as "offensive" but Rev. Gordon Parry, the local vicar, has given it his backing.
"One understands that people have sensitivities around this issue," said Rev. Parry, "However, Tulleys Farm are merely portraying the nativity in the context of their business.
It seems fitting that they have chosen to use what Christians regard as gifts from god, vegetables, to create a symbol of God's greatest gift, his son, Jesus Christ." (PA)
Paper old boy
One of Britain's oldest paperboys from Northumberland is hanging up his bag - at the age of 79.
Angus Armstrong has been getting up at 5 a.m. every day for the past 16 years to keep his community up to date with news.
The pensioner has even braved the worst weather rural Northumberland can offer to ensure residents of Ovington get their papers.
Mr Armstrong took over the local paper round on Boxing Day, 1993, after the village shop closed. Since then, he has carried out two deliveries a day, keeping residents up to date with everything from the Hexham Courant to the Radio Times.
"I've been doing it for so long; I will miss it," the former pitman told the Hexham Courant. But I knew I'd have to retire eventually and, since I'm turning 80 next year, it seemed about time to call it a day.
On first taking over the paper round, he was aided by his wife Betty, who died two years ago.
His original team of three teenage paperboys has also dropped to two as the number of newspapers requested has decreased. (PA)
Cat swallows Christmas tree
Leah the greedy cat almost came a cropper after swallowing a Christmas decoration.
She ate a miniature Christmas tree that her owner Claire Smith left lying around her home.
Miss Smith, 27, from Middlesbrough, noticed her pet was losing weight, suffering from chronic sickness and looking poorly, but had no idea why. Vets at the PDSA were also mystified by the black cat's illness until they X-rayed the one-year-old feline. (PA)
Batted out
An American junior hockey team is under fire from animal rights activists for killing a bat which flew into their arena during a game.
The Green Bay Gamblers in Wisconsin attacked the animal with their sticks, fearing it could have rabies. But People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals said the team should have tried to net it and release it. (PA)
Santa's White House call
US President Barack Obama expects Santa to use the Yellow Room chimney to make his White House entrance this year.
Mr Obama says the room was chosen as the place to leave milk, biscuits and reindeer treats because of its central location in the residence. In an interview with a Spanish-language TV station, he also managed to give a flawless Spanish Christmas greeting. (PA)
Canada branded 'Colossal Fossil'
Green groups yesterday named Canada "Fossil of the Year" - a mock award that carried the additional honorific of "Colossal Fossil" - for what they said was a strategy to sabotage efforts to tackle climate change.
"Canada's 2020 (emissions) target is among the worst in the industrialised world, and leaked Cabinet documents revealed that the government is contemplating a cap-and-trade plan so weak that it would put even that target out of reach," said Climate Action Network International and Avaaz.org.
"This government thinks there's a choice between environment and economy, and for them, tar sands beats climate every time.
"Canada's emissions are headed nowhere but up. For all this and more, we nominate Canada for the Colossal Fossil."
Tar sands are a bitumen deposit, containing heavy oil, that has very high levels of carbon, which is released as a heat-trapping greenhouse-gas when burned. (AFP)
Dogs eat owner
Two small dogs fed on their owner's body after they were locked in with him when he killed himself.
Police in the Omaha suburb of Papillion found the pugs, named Harry and Sally, late last week.
The Humane Society said it would be normal behaviour for dogs left without food or water for two weeks. (PA)